Us Congress 2023-2024 Regular Session

Us Congress Senate Bill SB17

Introduced
1/23/23  

Caption

Sunlight for Unaccountable Non-profits (SUN) Act This bill expands the disclosure requirements for certain tax-exempt organizations. This bill requires the annual tax return information for tax-exempt organizations and deferred compensation plans to be made available to the public at no charge and in an open structured data format that is processable by computers, with the information easy to find, access, reuse, and download in bulk. The bill also requires the disclosure of the names and addresses of contributors of $5,000 or more to tax-exempt organizations that participate or intervene in political campaigns on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office.

Impact

The bill's implications are far-reaching, particularly in increasing the transparency of organizations that influence public policy through political contributions. By requiring that information on contributors who donate $5,000 or more be disclosed, the SUN Act intends to shed light on the sources of funding behind advocacy and political campaigns. This aspect is expected to promote accountability among non-profits and alleviate public skepticism regarding undisclosed financial influences in politics.

Summary

SB17, also known as the Sunlight for Unaccountable Non-profits (SUN) Act, proposes significant amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 concerning tax-exempt organizations. The bill mandates that return information from these organizations be made publicly available in a searchable and structured format, allowing easier access and transparency for the public. This represents a shift toward open data initiatives, aimed at enhancing the accountability of tax-exempt entities, especially those engaged in political activities.

Contention

Despite its potential benefits, the bill could provoke significant contention among various stakeholders. Supporters argue that it creates necessary safeguards against the opaque workings of powerful non-profits, while critics may assert that such disclosure could intimidate contributors and suppress political speech. Additionally, organizations concerned with privacy may oppose the requirement to disclose contributor identities, raising debates around donor anonymity and the implications of such a shift on charitable giving.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

US SB56

Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act This bill allows individual and corporate taxpayers a tax credit for cash contributions to certain scholarship-granting and workforce training organizations. It imposes a cap of $10 billion on the sum of contributions that qualify for a tax credit under this bill. The bill requires the Department of Education, in coordination with the Departments of the Treasury and Labor, to establish, host, and maintain a web portal that (1) lists all eligible scholarship-granting and workforce training organizations; (2) enables contributions to such organizations; (3) provides information about the benefits of this bill; and (4) enables a state to submit and update information about its programs and educational organizations, including information on student eligibility and allowable educational expenses.

US SB26

Stop the Nosy Obsession with Online Payments Act of 2023 or the SNOOP Act of 2023 This bill modifies requirements for third party settlement organizations to eliminate their reporting requirement with respect to the transactions of their participating payees unless they have earned more than $20,000 on more than 200 separate transactions in an applicable tax period. A third party settlement organization is the central organization that has the contractual obligation to make payments to participating payees (generally, a merchant or business) in a third party payment network. This reverses a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that lowered the reporting threshold to $600 with no minimum on the number of transactions.

US HB831

Relating to the exemption from certain taxation of certain organizations.

US SF562

A bill for an act relating to utilization review organizations, prior authorizations and exemptions, medical billing, and independent review organizations.

US SB520

Providing a sales tax exemption for certain not-for-profit organizations that provide public transportation services.

US HB440

Relating to a requirement that certain religious organizations provide an annual report on property owned by the organization for which an exemption from ad valorem taxation is granted.

US HB108

Small Business Prosperity Act of 2023 This bill modifies the tax deduction for qualified business income to (1) make such deduction permanent, (2) limit to 21% the top tax rate on qualified business income, (3) repeal the limitation on the deduction based on amount of wages paid, and (4) revise the definition of qualified trade or business to mean any trade or business other than the trade of business of performing services as an employee. The bill provides that a change in the organizational structure of a corporation is not a taxable event if there is no change among the owners, their ownership interests, or the assets of the organization, The bill repeals the estate tax after 2022.

US HB389

Preventing Opportunistic Returns on Trades and Futures by Officials, Leadership, and Individuals in Office Act or the PORTFOLIO Act This bill generally prohibits federal employees and officials from owning or trading in synthetic assets (i.e., tokenized derivatives). It also establishes financial disclosure requirements with respect to cryptocurrency. Specifically, the bill prohibits federal employees, Members of Congress, the President, and Vice President from owning or trading investments in a security, a commodity, a future, cryptocurrency, or any comparable economic interest acquired through synthetic means, such as through a derivative. Such investments must be divested through gift or donation, cashing out, or a qualified blind trust. The appropriate ethics office may grant temporary exemptions in certain situations, such as for preexisting complex financial arrangements from which investments cannot be withdrawn, and may assess fees for violations. The Department of Justice may also bring civil actions for violations. The bill also (1) incorporates cryptocurrency and other digital assets into current financial disclosure requirements; (2) modifies the categories and timelines for financial disclosures; and (3) requires agencies, ethics offices, and the Department of Justice to regularly report on violations of this bill and other related requirements.

US SB149

Exempting certain organizations from property taxation

US HB190

Saving Gig Economy Taxpayers Act This bill modifies requirements for third party settlement organizations to eliminate their reporting requirement with respect to the transactions of their participating payees unless they have earned more than $20,000 on more than 200 separate transactions in an applicable tax period. A third party settlement organization is the central organization that has the contractual obligation to make payments to participating payees (generally, a merchant or business) in a third party payment network. This reverses a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that lowered the reporting threshold to $600 with no minimum on the number of transactions.

Similar Bills

CA AB950

Political Reform Act of 1974: advertisements.

CA AB2882

Campaign contributions.

HI SB3243

Relating To Campaign Finance.

HI SB166

Relating To Campaign Finance.

HI SB1032

Relating To Campaign Finance.

HI SB3164

Relating To Campaign Finance.

HI HB1881

Relating To Campaign Finance.

CA AB775

Contribution requirements: recurring contributions.